William spiers



Patented Mar. 2|, |899.

W. SPIERS.

KNITTING MACHINE. (Appumion md out. 11,1898.)

(No'llode.)

4wd @um union.

PATENT WILLIAM spin-Rs, oFLEionsTnR, ENGLAND. I

KNITTlNc-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,478, dated March 21, 11899.

Original application filed July 27, 1897, Serial No. 646,128. Divided and this application led October 11, 1898. Serial No,

693,263- (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM SP1ERs,asub ject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Leicester, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting- Machines, (for which I have received Letters Patent in Great Brit-ain, No. 23,560, dated December 9, 1895,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to circularlnitting machines such as referred to in my pending application for patent, filed July 27, 1897, Serial No. 646,128, and of which application the present one is a division, the said knitting-machines being employed in the production of seamless hosiery and other tubular fabrics; and the present invention has for its object to provide devices of improved construction and means for operating the same to engage and hold down the loops as they are formed and prevent them rising with the needles as the latter are. raised into position to take the thread.

The loop-holding devices constructed in accordance with this invention are curved or circular-shaped-. e., to form an arc of acircle-and are furnished with a hook or nose at their upper ends to engage the newlyformed loops and hold them down while the needles are rising into position to take the thread for the next course. The said looplholding devices are'also provided at or near their other end with a heel or butt to be actuated by a cam.

The invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the needle-cylinder of a circular-knitting machine, showing the improved loop -holding devices, one on each side thereof and in their raised and lowered positions, respectively, and mechanism for actuating the said devices, all constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the improved loop-holdin g devices per se.

Only so much of the knitting-machine is shown and will be hereinafter described as is necessary to clearly illustrate the invention.

A represents the needle-cylinder of a circuilar-knitting machine, and A the latch-needles therein, which are actuated bythe usual cams (not shown in the drawings) in the well-known manner. Inside the needle-cylinder is another cylinder B, termed the stiffening-cylinder,17

vbut which forms no part of the present invention and may in some instances be omitted. Therefore no further reference need be made to it.

C is the cylinder or bed, which is tracked or grooved to receive the loop-holders D. This cylinder is inserted in position from the upper end of the stiffening-cylinder and has a projecting flange C', which rests on the upper end of the stiffening-cylinder, while the straight vertical outer face of the wall of the said cylinder is placed next to the inner face of the stiffening-cylinder.

The inner face of the loop-holder cylinder is curved to coincide with the shape of the loop-holders.

In some cases the cylinder C may be made integrally with the upper end of the stiftening-cy-linder B or with the needle-cylinder when the stiifening-cylinder is omitted.

The loop-holders when not engaging the loops arev prevented dropping out of their tracks or grooves by and receive their motion from a cam-ring, which may be formed in two parts E11 E12. The part E11 is inserted upward from the bottom of the cylinders A B and the part E12 downward from the top of the i l said cylinders, and the two parts are fastened together by convenient'means, which in the present case comprise a nut F, screwed on the bottom of E12 and tightened against the under side of a shoulder E2, so that the inwardlycurved faces of E11 E12 fit close against the outwardly-curved face of the loop-holder cylinder or bed C and are drawn tightly together in their proper positions by the nut F, which is provided with two holes or recesses F to receive the prongs of a suitable tightening-lever.

The heels or butts D of the loop-holders are located in a cam-groove G, as shown in dotted line, formed in the cylinders E11 E12, as indicated, and upon the revolving of the latter are raised and lowered in an arc of a circle within their grooves, so that the hook or nose D2 of the loop-holders is moved eitherinto or out of contact with the loop, according to whether the needle is about to rise and take the thread or descend to form the stitches. The cam-ring is furnished with a bevel-Wheel E3 on the bottom thereof, and to obtain the requisite rotary movement it is in gear With a similar Wheel H' on the driving-shaft I-I.

Itis obvious that as the cam-ring E11 E12 revolves its irregular cam groove or track G, in which the heels of the loop-holders are located, will move the latter up and down in an arc of a circle, so that the hook D2 alternately engages and disengages the loops newly formed, as will be understood.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the natu re of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim isl. In a knitting-machine, the combination` with the needle-cylinder and its needles, of a cylinder located inside and at the upper part of t-he needle-cylinder, and provided With arcshaped grooves, a series of arc-shaped loopholders located in the grooves in the inner cylinder,the said loop-holders being provided at their upper ends with a hook for engaging the fabric and With a heel or butt near the other end, a cam-ring having a face curved to correspond with the curvature of the loopholders and between which face and the grooved cylinder the needles are arranged, said cam-ring being provided with a camgroove in which the heels of the loop-holders are located,said cam-groove,when the needlecylinder is revolved being adapted to cause 3 5 the loop-holders to move up and down bodilyT in an are of a circle to alternately engage and release the fabric, substantially as described.

2. In a knitting-machine, the combination with the needle-cylinder and its needles, of a 4o cylinder located inside and at the upper part of the needle-cylinder and provided with arcshaped grooves, a series of arc-shaped loopholders located in the grooves in the inner cylinder,the said loop-holders being provided 45 at their upper ends with a hook for engaging the fabric and with a heel or butt near the other end, a cam-ring consisting of two sections E11 and E12, having faces to correspond with the curvature of the loop-holders, and 5o between which faces and the grooved cylinders the needles are arranged, said section E12 being provided With'a cam-groove in which the heels of the loop-holders are located, and means operating upon the sections 55 of the cam-ring to cause them to lit closely together, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of the two subscrib- 

